Kneeling on the sideline in cleats while barking encouragement to his soccer team, Rusty Millard could be mistaken for one of his players.

At practice, the 30-year-old Los Gatos coach shows his players how things are done, getting up close and personal by participating in scrimmages.

“Marking coach in practice is not fun,” senior back Bobby Kent said. “He has so much experience and has a lot of skills. After covering him, it doesn’t seem so bad playing in a game. He is really one of us and he knows what the game means to his players.”

Millard’s youthful spirit has been embraced by the Wildcats (11-1-4, 5-0-3), who haven’t lost a match in six weeks.

Wednesday the Wildcats beat rival Palo Alto 3-2 to move into sole possession of first place in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League’s De Anza Division.

Palo Alto scored first when Jenner Fox’s shot deflected off a defender, the right post and goalkeeper Jack Schweitzer for a goal.

The early setback seemed to ignite the Wildcats’ offense, which is led by play-making midfielder Niki Chow, who has earned a scholarship to play at the University of Washington.

“I was feeling good with the ball at my feet and they gave me some space, so I tried to make something happen,” said Chow, who led a three-goal surge in just 12 minutes.

Chow got things started by taking the ball up the center of the field with a run of about 60 yards, eluding defenders along the way. As he approached the penalty box, he delivered a perfectly paced ball to his right, which Kevin Peth took in stride and kicked into the back of the net.

Six minutes later, Chow hit a long cross from the left side of the field to Peth. He centered the ball to Grant James, who delivered it to the left corner of the net.

On the Wildcats’ final tally, Chow passed to Peth, who crossed the ball in front of the goal, allowing Jared Bernstein to finish from close range.

“Niki is arguably the best player in school history – he’s the complete package,” said Millard, a member of the only Los Gatos team to win a Central Coast Section title, in 1995. “He sees everything on the field and has such an awareness of the game. He has the kind of thing you can’t teach as a coach.”

“Niki and I have played together on club teams for a long time,” said Tonkel, a junior in his first year on the Wildcats team. “We can just look at each other and know what the other is thinking.”

Last season, Millard’s first as head coach, Los Gatos won its first league title in 19 years. The Wildcats had a tough playoff draw and lost 1-0 at Watsonville in the second round.

The Wildcats’ lone loss this season was 3-0 to Leland on Dec. 15 in the Homestead Cup.

“That may have been good for us,” Chow said. “It showed that we’re not invincible and still have things to work on.”

Millard makes sure the team never lets its guard down – praising his players when they execute, and letting them know when improvements are needed.

“I think this is one of the tightest teams out there; the chemistry is excellent,” Millard said.

That camaraderie was evident as the Wildcats prepared to board the bus for the ride home from Palo Alto, ready to perform a team tradition in which players make up chants or raps teasing members of the junior varsity team.

“It’s actually a great way for the team to bond and cool down after a win,” Millard said with a laugh.

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